


Adoption

by Egobang_for_dayz



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Adoption, Family, Fluff, Kidfic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 05:13:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12904836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Egobang_for_dayz/pseuds/Egobang_for_dayz
Summary: Dan and Arin decide to adopt





	Adoption

**Author's Note:**

> Special SO to NoMansWindow2846 for beta reading for me!

"Hey Dan?" Arin started, looking up at his husband from across the dinner table. It was Chinese night, and Dan was focusing all his attention on trying to eat rice with chopsticks.

"Yeah babe?" He answered distantly, not looking up. Arin waited. Finally, Dan looked up and met Arin's eyes, one eyebrow cocked in questioning.

"How do you feel about kids?" Arin asked, watching Dan carefully. They'd been married for two years, but Arin still worried about moving too fast with Dan. Dan stared at him wide eyed.

"I... would love kids, Arin." Dan said finally. His heart was racing. He'd always wanted kids, he was just never sure how Arin felt about them. Across from him, Arin was beaming.

"So, let's look into adoption." Arin said with a nod. Dan nodded his agreement quickly, still shell shocked, but happy. There was no one else he would want to parent with. Arin was his balance; the ying to his yang.

They started the process the next day. They decided they wanted to adopt from foster care, since there were so many kids who needed homes. Of course, this meant training and courses on dealing with emotional trauma in kids and getting their license to foster. But they did it all. They would do whatever it took.

9 months later, Dan and Arin were crashed on their couch, snuggled together in a tangle of limbs, watching something on the TV that Dan wasn't paying any attention to. He was focusing more on the sound of his husbands heartbeat under his ear and the sound of his phone ringing on the table. Wait, his phone? Dan shot up and scrambled to grab his phone. The sound of a phone ringing had forced his heart to pick up speed ever since they had started waiting to get matched with a child.

"It's the social worker!" Dan yelled as he processed the name on his phone. Arin sat up too, watching as Dan answered with baited breath. "Hello? Really? Oh that's wonderful! Thank you! Ok! Jefferson park, 3 o'clock, Saturday. We'll be there!" Dan hit end on his phone before turning to his husband, a grin breaking out on his face. "We've been matched!" He yelled, wrapping his arms around Arin's neck. They kissed and giggled and fell back onto the couch, lost in their happiness, the TV and the stress of the day all but forgotten.

\---

Saturday came before either of them were really ready. Dan was pacing anxiously by the front door, wringing his hands. Arin was feeling much calmer, getting dressed and brushing his hair on his own time. Who knew he'd be the calmer one when it came to parenting?

"Danny-boy, you're gonna wear a rut in the floor like that. Take a breath. Everything is gonna be fine." Arin said, grabbing his husbands hands in his own to stop his pacing. Dan stopped; and Arin kissed him on the forehead.

"I'm sorry Ar. I'm just nervous. What if she doesn't like us?" He didn't even want to imagine that possibility. Arin just shook his head.

"Just go with the flow. Everything is gonna be fine. It's time to go now." Arin said, checking his watch. They locked up the house and got into the car.

By the time they reached the park, Dan had calmed down just enough. They parked, got out of the car, and walked over to where they had agreed to meet the social worker.

Their social worker was there, in her typical beige pants suit, her dark hair pulled into a tight bun. But next to her was a little girl, age 8. She had curly black hair that almost rivaled Dan's. Dan froze when he realized the little girl was crying; the social worker trying desperately to soothe her. Arin tugged him closer.

"I wanna go back!" The little girl, Abigail they had been told, yelled, hands curled into tiny fists. She struck out at the social worker, who was remaining incredibly calm during this melt down. Arin took another step closer but the little girl cried harder and ran to hide behind a tree. "I don't like them! Take me back!" She demanded. Dan was devastated. This is what he had been so nervous about. This little girl wanted nothing to do with them.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what's going on. She's usually so sweet." Their social worker tried desperately to explain. The little girl was watching them carefully from behind the tree. She was still sobbing heavily, but she looked determined. Dan offered up a smile to her. Her face softened briefly, before her resolve returned. Dan stepped away from Arin and the social worker and crept closer to the little girl.

"Hey there, Abigail. I'm Dan. Don't worry. You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to, but can we talk?" Dan asked. He was still a couple feet from the tree, but he sat in the grass anyway. He started picking dandelions that were within reach and fashioning a flower crown out of them while he waited for Abigail to make her decision. Ever so slowly, she came out from behind the tree. She inched closer, and finally she was right in front of dan. He smiled at her, and patted the ground for her to sit in front of him. She obliged. Without saying anything, Dan finished the flower crown and plopped it on her head. She giggled and Dan was pretty sure he was nothing but a puddle on the ground after that. "There we go." He said gently. "Can you tell me why you were crying?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"They're trying to take me away from Fletcher. I don't want to leave him. He needs me." She muttered, pulling at the grass.

"Fletcher?"

"My little brother. They just brought me here and wouldn't let me take him. I want to go back, he needs me!" She insisted. Dan was suddenly seeing red. He remembered that feeling. Growing up, he had always been protective over Dana. He may be a pacifist, but he would fight anyone who dared hurt his sister. He told Abigail he would be right back and stood up. He marched back over to where Arin and the social worker stood chatting and watching them. Arin became immediately concerned with the murder look Dan was giving the social worker. She must have noticed too because she stepped back a little.

"Why the fuck did no one tell us she has a brother?" He demanded, fighting to keep his voice low and even, so Abigail wouldn't hear his anger. His hands were in fists shoved into his jacket pocket.

"I-I'm sorry. You only wanted one child. Siblings get separated all the time; that's just how it goes." The social worker tried to defend herself. Arin was pretty sure he saw steam coming from Dan's ears. He put one hand on his husband's shoulder and pulled him away from the social worker.

"Dan, you need to calm down. We want them to let the kid come with us, right? So you can't beat the social worker to death. Although, damn dude, you look like you want to." Arin pulled Dan's hands from his jacket pockets and rubbed the back of them until Dan relaxed his fists.

"I'm sorry, baby bear. I just.. the idea that they would separate her from her little brother... it makes me sick. I can't imagine what she's going through. I would have put up the same fight if someone had tried to take me away from Dana." Dan explained, staring at the ground. Arin's heart melted. He forgot sometimes that even in his soft heart, Dan still had a protective big brother soul.

"So we'll take them both." Arin said definitively. Dan's head shot up, hope lining his big brown eyes.

"Really? Are you sure?" Dan asked, in disbelief.

"Of course I'm sure. You really seemed to connect with her and you're right, we can't break up siblings." Arin pulled Dan by the hand back to the social worker. "We want her. And her brother." Arin told her, his eyes challenging her to deny him.

"That's fantastic!" She cheered, clapping her hands together. "Abigail sweetie, come over here." Abigail stood from where she was still seated on the grass, and hesitantly joined the adults. She watched Arin carefully. "Listen, these nice men want to adopt you! You and Fletcher!" When she heard that Abigail broke into a grin. Dan was pretty sure she was the cutest little girl he had ever seen. "You'll have to meet with him, and have a few more meetings with them both before we can send them home with you. But I think this will be an excellent fit." The social worker continued. Dan knelt down to Abigail's level.

"I'm sorry you had to be away from your little brother. I have a little sister, I know how you feel. I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to keep you both together. Ok?" Dan held out his pinky to her to show he meant business. With a huge grin, she linked her pinky around his, and Dan's breath caught. This was everything he had hoped for.

\---

Over the next month, Dan and Arin met with the two children a few more times. The more they met with them, the more in love they fell. These were their kids, Dan could feel it.

Finally, the day arrived for the kids to come home. Arin and Dan had just finished installing the bunk bed in the guest room. Arin had covered the walls in a mural of animals. Lions and bears and dinosaurs. One wall was dedicated the the ocean, no sharks though, and one wall was dedicated to a forest scene with a unicorn standing in the middle. That was Dan's favorite wall, and he was pretty sure it was more for him than the kids.

The doorbell rang, jolting Dan out of his thoughts. In a few long strides, Dan's hand was on the doorknob. He was shaking and couldn't bring himself to open it. Suddenly, Arin's hand was on top of his. He looked over to meet his husband's eyes. Arin smiled, and nodded, and together they pulled the door open. Abigail and Fletcher were standing there, along with the social worker. Fletcher was clutching the stuffed stegosaurus Dan had given him on their third visit and Abigail had her arm wrapped protectively around her brother's shoulders. Dan smiled wide at them and Abigail smiled back. Fletcher was staring at the ground, clearly nervous. Arin went out to gather their suitcases from the social worker's car as Dan ran through the last minute checklist with her. Arin returned with their luggage and the social worker bid the children farewell.

Finally, finally, they were home alone with their children. Dan was on cloud 9 and judging by the smile on Arin's face, so was he. "Come on guys, let's go see your room!" Arin cheered. He led the kids, Dan taking up the rear. Fletcher finally looked excited as they entered the room.

"Woah! There's a unicorn!!" He yelled excitedly. Dan beamed. He knew what they were watching tonight. Abigail walked around the room, touching the drawings on the wall lightly.

"Whose bunk is whose?" She asked, studying the bed. The bottom bunk was covered with blue blankets with stars, and the top was covered with pink blankets with flowers. Dan shrugged.

"Whichever one you guys want. It's all up to you. And if you don't like these blankets, we can always get different ones." Dan answered honestly. They had just been guessing up to this point. Abigail turned to her little brother.

"Which blankets do you want, Fletch?" She asked him. He studied the beds for a moment before pointing to the top bunk. Arin smiled widely at that, a boy after his own heart.

Later that evening, they were all piled under blankets on the couch, The Last Unicorn playing on the TV. Arin and Dan were against either arm, their hands linked along the back of the couch. Abigail and Fletcher were in the middle, the younger of the two curled up against his sister, fast asleep. Dan looked across the couch at his new little family, and he felt like his heart might burst.

He knew this wouldn't be easy, these kids had come from a bad home and it was going to take them a while to trust their new home. Dan was ready for that. He had only known them for a short while, but Dan loved them with all of his heart. He would do anything for these kids, just as he would for Arin.

His family was finally complete.


End file.
